Dishwasher



H.`LAUB :m:

DISHWASHER April 5, 1955 Filed Aug. 27, 1951 JNVENTOR. #fen/,HN nz/5 l? K Z MMV @fr0/@NEM n United States Patent O DISHWASHER Herman Laub III, Alhambra, Calif., assgnor of fifteen per cent to Robert E. Geaque, Van Nuys, Calif.

Application August 27, 1951, Serial No. 243,872

1 Claim. (Cl. 261-18) This invention relates to an improved domestic dishwasher and more particularly to a dishwasher which can be utilized in combination with the usual type of sink faucets. While the invention relates primarily to dishwashers, it is also equally usable in other types of cleaning operations.

Prior types of dishwashers have utilized cakes of soap over which water is passed so that the soap will be added to the cleansing water. Also, fluid detergents have been used in connection with dishwashers and the detergent has been mixed with the cleansing water by utilizing a venturi passage or syphon to draw the fluid into the water stream. The control of the fluid discharge has been accomplished by means of needle valves which required the formation of valve seats and the utilization of valve springs. Prior types of dishwashers which utilize a uid detergent are therefore unnecessarily complicated and expensive.

In the present invention, applicant utilizes a fluid detergent and has eliminated the disadvantages of the prior art. A venturi passage is placed in the water stream and is normally allowed to syphon only air. However, by simply adjusting the amount of air which passes to the venturi, the amount of iiuid detergent drawn into the water stream can be adjusted. A secondary passage is provided leading from the venturi passage to atmosphere and this passage includes an absorbent material which is continually in contact with the detergent. By drawing air through this fluid passage, the detergent is released from the absorbent material and injected into the water stream. It is apparent that no moving parts are required in the construction of the dishwasher embodying the present invention.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel dishwasher which utilizes a fluid detergent and requires no moving parts, such as needle valves and the like.

Another object of the invention is the provision of utilizing a venturi passage to develop the suction required to inject the fluid detergent into the water stream which suction is under the control of an air passage which is regulated by the thumb of the operator.

A still further object of the invention is the utilization of an absorbent means continually in communication with the iluid detergent and which is subjected to an air stream developed by the venturi passage.

Another object of the invention is the use of a dishwasher head which is easily handled by the operator and which includes all the operative elements of the dishwasher.

These and other objects not specitically enumerated above will become readily apparent in the following specification and drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the dishwasher head showing the passage which connects with a exible line leading from a mixing chamber associated with hot and cold water faucets.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of the dishwasher head taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section similar to Figure 1 illustrating the relationship of the various passages in the dishwasher head.

The embodiment of the present invention chosen for illustration has a ilexible water supply line 1 leading from the ordinary type of hot and cold water mixing chamber provided with kitchen sinks. This flexible line 1 connects with a conduit 2 which passes through the detergent chamber 3 and connects with a passage 4 in body member 5. One end of passage 4 is enlarged to receive the end of conduit 2 while the other end connects with a mixing chamber 6. The passage 4 contains a restricted portion 7 which is in'the form of a venturi or syphon.

Body 5 has a circular threaded sleeve 8 extending from one end and this sleeve connects with a conical surface 9 on the body 5. The circular detergent chamber 3 is f threaded at its open end so that it can be screwed into the sleeve 8 in position to have the open end adjacent the conical surface 9 of the body member. The chamber 3 has a center sleeve 10 extending along its length and of sufficient diameter to receive and retain the conduit 2. A projection 11 is provided at the junction of conical surface 9 and sleeve 8 to receive a support member 12 which is in the form of a disk and has a center opening for receiving conduit 2 and a number of circular openings 15 placed around the member and separated from one another by partitions 16. Positioned between support member 12 and the open end of chamber 3 is a disk of absorbent material 17, such as felt or the like,

and the open end of chamber 3 and will project across the conical surface 9. The open end of chamber 3 has angular surface 18 which forms an opening 19 with portions of the surfaces of disk 17 and sleeve 8.

The body portion 5 contains a large cylindrical opcning 20 which terminates at the surface of the body in a thumb ring 21. The opening 20 is connected to restricted portion 7 by means of a passage 22 and is also connected to the space between member 17 and conical surface 9 by means of passage 23. A number of passages 24 n sleeve 8 continually connect the opening 19 to atmosphere. A brush head 25 is formed integral with mixing chamber 6 and contains a series of openings 26 which allow the cleaning fluid to pass through the brush 27 and out of the dishwasher. The chamber 6 is threaded at one end for attachment to one end of body member 5.

In assembling the subject invention the mixing chamer 6 is first attached to body member S. Thereafter the support member 12 and the absorbent member 17 are inserted into sleeve 8. The mixing chamber 3 is then lled with a fluid detergent and is threaded into sleeve 8 so that the open end bears against the absorbent member 17. The dishwasher is now in condition to be connected to the water faucets through flexible passage 1. It is understood that the component parts of the dishwasher can be constructed of any suitable material, such as plastic, hard rubber, steel and the like.

In the operation of the dishwasher, water of the proper temperature is supplied to conduit 2 and passes through restricted passage 7 and on to the mixing chamber 6 and brush 27. The operator will grip the body of the dishwasher with his hand in a position such that the thumb can be placed over the opening 20 when desired. When the operator does not desire detergent in the cleansing water, he will remove his thumb entirely from the opening 20 and allow air to be drawn into the passage 4 by the venturi 7. However, if the operator desires that the water contain detergent, he will place his thumb either partially or wholly over the opening 20. Thus, the quantity of air drawn through the opening 20 will be restricted and the suction at venturi 7 will be communicated through passage 23 to the opening formed by conical surface 9. The absorbent member 17 will at all times contain a supply of detergent through absorption of the detergent from chamber 3. Since the passage 23 can communicate with atmosphere through openings 15, absorbent member 17, opening 19 and passage 24, air will be drawn through the absorbent member 17 by the venturi 7 when the opening 20 is restricted by the operators thumb. As the air passes through the member 17, it will collect a quantity of detergent and this detergent will be carried by the air through passages 23 and 22 into the cleansing water stream. As

the water and detergent leave passage 4, they will be thoroughly mixed in mixing chamber 6 prior to passing through openings 26 in the brush head. The amount of detergent drawn through passage 23 can be varied by the operator by adjusting the size of opening 20 with his thumb since the vacuum in passage 23 will increase as the amount of air passing through opening 20 is decreased. This results because of the difference in resistance to ow provided by the two paths leading to atmosphere.

It is therefore apparent that a dishwasher has been invented which can be constructed as an integral unit and which requires no relatively moving parts. If desired, the opening 20 can be entirely eliminated and the operator can control the supply of detergent by covering opening 24 with his thumb until detergent is required. By varying the size of the device, it can be adapted for use in most any cleansing operations 'and is therefore not limited to dishwashing. It is, of course, contemplated that various types of materials can be utilized in the construction of the disk 17 and that if desirable, equivalent suction operated valves can be used to replace disk 17. Also, the thumb control of opening 20 can be replaced by equivalent structures. While only one passage 23 is illustrated for the fluid detergent, it is obvious that additional passages can be provided for this purpose. Various other modifications are contemplated and may be readily resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter dened by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A dishwasher device in the form of an integral unit, comprising a body portion having a tirst passage containing a restricted portion, a mixing chamber having its open end secured to one end of said body portion, a detergent chamber having its open end secured to the other end of said body portion, a conduit in said detergent chamber leading to said rst passage in said body portion, an absorbent material covering the open end of said detergent chamber and held in place between said chamber and said body portion, a second passage in said body portion normally connecting said restricted portion to atmosphere, a third passage connecting said restricted portion to atmosphere through said body portion, said absorbent material and the wall of said chamber, and means for adjusting said second passage to adjust the suction force created by said restricted portion in said third passage.

References Cited in the ltile of this patent i UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,514,225 Dabrohua July 4, 1950 2,532,565 Miller Dec. 5, :1950 2,540,064 Weber Ian. 30, 1951 2,571,870 Hayes Oct. 16, 1951 `2,571,371 Hayes Oct. 16, 1951 2,577,024 Lundberg Dec. 4, 1951 2,593,178 Paul Apr. 15, 1952 

